Park Run
Posted on
Park run is the name given to a collection of five-kilometre running events that take place every Saturday morning in eighteen countries across five continents.
Events are run by volunteers, and participation is free of charge. Runners are required to register online in advance for a unique athlete number and to print their own identification barcode for use when taking part. Runners’ results in each event are processed and uploaded online after the run by volunteers. Each registered runner has an individual page cataloguing the details of each event in which they have participated.
There are endless opportunities to run in Canberra, however, parkrun is a great community initiative happening every Saturday morning. It’s a free 5km run (or walk, skip or jump), which is timed and recorded if you’re a member of parkrun (which is free). It’s a great way to track personal progress over a 5km course, and it’s an international initiative so you can track down a parkrun event wherever you are in the world!
Locations played:
Burley Griffin Parkrun at Weston Park
Lake Ginninderra Parkrun at John Knight Memorial park in Belconnen
Gungahlin Parkrun at Yerrabi Pond, Wunderlich St, Gungahlin
Tuggeranong Parkrun
Burley Griffin Parkrun at Weston Park
Barley Griffin Parkrun happens largely because of their fantastic volunteers, who are almost all regular runners. The weekly team of volunteers are led by a small group of parkrun enthusiasts who form the ‘core team’: They make sure the event is set up and packed away each week, the results published, the tokens resorted, event reports written and so much more.
The course is 5000m (5K) long. This is an out and back course, starting near the Weston Park playground and running along the path out towards the park entrance. Following the path from the start, the lake will remain on your left until you meet the turn-around point – then head back the same way you came.
This is a gently undulating course that starts on gravel before quickly transitioning to the newly laid bicycle path, and is suitable for prams and dogs on leads.
To the left of the path is the beautiful Lake Burley Griffin, with Black Mountain in the background. You wind your way back out towards the park entrance, before turning at the 2.5km mark (marshal on site) and head back the same way – providing high-5’s to your fellow parkrunners.
The registration is free
Lake Ginninderra Parkrun at John Knight Memorial park in Belconnen
The course is 5000m (5K) long. From the start/finish line in John Knight Memorial Park, the course twists and turns northwards, as we keep Lake Ginninderra to our left. After about 1km, the route takes left under Ginninderra Drive and then up a gradual ramp on to the fat side of Ginninderra Drive where we cross Lake Ginninderra. Once down the ramp on the other side of the lake, the route turns right and follows the bike path under Ginninderra Drive back towards the lake before and heads along the bike path around the peninsula. At just after 3km, the route turns right and on to Diddams Close before rejoining Ginninderra Drive. As you cross Lake Ginninderra on the other side of the bridge to the outward route the final 1.2km head souths and back to the start/finish line in John Knight Memorial Park.
Gungahlin Parkrun at Yerrabi Pond, Wunderlich St, Gungahlin
The course is 5000m (5K) long. The course is at Yerrabi Pond, Gungahlin. The course starts on the shared path approximately 200 metres south of where the run briefing takes place. Runners head northwards. Follow the path past the footbridge. Follow the sign pointing to the right and then turn left and cross over footbridge along Horse Park Drive. Then follow the shared path along Horse Park drive and crossover second Horse Park footbridge. After crossing footbridge turn left and follow the path back towards Yerrabi Pond. At around 3 km detour to the right around the small footbridge and follow a shared path back towards Yerrabi Pond and continue in a counterclockwise direction keeping Yerrabi Pond on your left. After crossing weir continues turn left and then turn left again. Follow the shared path around past starting line. The finish line is about 200 metres further on from the starting line.
Tuggeranong Parkrun
The course starts at Tuggeranong Town Park and follows the bike path south-east along the Lake Tuggeranong foreshore, underneath the Soward Way bridge, across the footbridge and then north-west along the foreshore, underneath the bridge and along to the turnaround. Return along the same route to the finish at Tuggeranong Town Park.
Season and times:
Year-round.
8 am every Saturday
Level of experience required:
Parkrun is a fun and relaxed event which accommodates a range of running – or walking! – abilities. While some people go to smash records, others go for a social walk or jog with friends!
Cost:
Free
